Cushion heel



y 1952 v. LAMPA 2,597,393

CUSHION HEEL Filed Nov. 18, 1947 7E 6 INVENTOR.

VAYR/N SLAMPH f V W Patented May 20, 1952 CUSHION HEEL Vavi'in lampa, Brunn, Czechoslovakia Application November 18, 1947, Serial No. 786,591 In Czechoslovakia April 14, 1947 5 Claims. (01. 36-35) The present invention relates to shoe heels, and

more particularly to a shoe heel provided with hollow elastic bulges on its bottom face.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a shoe heel having projecting hollow bulges protecting the outer rim of the heel.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a frame along the perimeter of the heel, and a central heel portion located within the frame and held by the same on the shoe.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide means for securing the heel to the shoe in the outer rim only so that no nails are required for fastening the central portion to the shoe, such nails being subject to being loosened by the elastic expansion of the hollow bulges.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a replaceable portion at the rear of the central heel portion.

With these objects in view the present invention mainly consists in a shoe heel consisting of rubber or the like materials formed with at least one slit extending parallel to the perimeter of the heel spaced therefrom so as to define a central portion and a rim portion, the central portion having a plurality of projecting bulges arranged in a continuous closed row so as to form a projecting ring adjacent to the rim portion, each of the bulges being formed with an inner cavity and protruding substantially beyond the remainder of the central portion and beyond the rim portion so as to protect the same from being worn, and

means in the rim portion for securing the heel to ashoe.

Accordin to a preferred embodiment of the present invention the shoe heel comprises in combination, a continuous closed rim portion having parallel top and bottom faces, an outer lateral face extending along the perimeter of the heel, and an inclined inner lateral face spaced a short distance from the outer lateral face and forming an obtuse angle with the top face of the rim portion, and an acute angle with the bottom face of the rim portion so that the opening defined by the inner edge of the bottom face is smaller than the opening defined by the inner edge of the top face, a central portion located within the continuous closed rim portion, the central portion having a peripheral face abutting against the inner lateral face of the rim portion and further having a plurality of projecting bulges arranged in a continuous closed row so as to form a projecting ring adjacent to the rim portion, each of the bulges being formed with an inner cavity and protruding substantially above 2 the remainder of the central portion and above the bottom face of the rim portion so as to protect the same from being worn, the central portion including a main portion and a detachable portion located adjacent to the rim portion at the rear thereof and adapted to be replaced when worn, and means in the rim portion for securing the rim portion and thereby the heel to a shoe.

Generally it is not necessary at all to secure the central portion of the heel to the shoe by nails. If the central portion is pressed tightly into the continuous closed rim which constitutes a frame, the central portion is held by the rim portion, and only the rim portion has to be secured to the shoe.

The central portion of the heel is particularly reliably attached if the inner lateral face of the rim portion is somewhat oblique with respect to the top and bottom faces of the rim portion so that the opening defined by the inner edge of the bottom face of the rim portion is somewhat smaller than the opening defined by the inner edge of the top face of the rim portion. In this embodiment of the invention the central portion abutting with the peripheral face thereof against the oblique inner lateral face of the rim portion, is held securely by resilient pressure.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention, however, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a bottom view of a heel according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the heel shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along lines 33 of Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of a modified embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a further embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, in the embodi-.

ment shown in Figs. 1-3, a shoe heel consisting of rubber or a like material divided by a slit into a central portion l and a rim portion 4. Rim portion 4 constitutes a frame surrounding the central portion I and is secured to the shoe by nails or the like passing through small holes 5 in the rim. The bottom face of the central portion is formed with projecting bulges 2 arranged in a ring adjacent to the perimeter of the cene bottom face of the rim portion, the latter is pro-f tected and hardly worn out.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 6, the innerlateralface 4' of the rim portion 4 is inclined with respect to the top and bottom faces of the rim portion, so that the tightly fitted central portion is more compressed near the bottom face of the heel;

than near the top face thereof. 4

According to a modified embodiment of the invention which is particularly suited forinexpem sive shoe heels, th central portion and the rim portion are connected as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and instead of one slit separating the rim portion from the central heel portion, a plurality of slits 9 are arranged in a line extending parallel to the perimeter of the heel spaced a short distance therefrom whereby a rim portion and a central portion are defined. In this embodiment the central portion is also provided with projecting bulges 2, each bulge being located adjacent to a slit.

The nails securing the rim portionto the shoe are separated from the bulges'2 by the slits 9, whereby loosening of the nails due to the continuous deformation of the bulges during walking is prevented.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application inother types of shoe heels differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a shoe heel havinga central portionprovided with projecting bulges and a rim portion secured to the shoe, it is not intended to be limited to thedetails shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in anyway from .the spirit of the-present invention.

What is claimed as n'ewfandv desired, to be se cured by Letters Patent'is:

1. A shoe heel consisting of rubber or a like material formed with at least one slit extending parallel to the perimeter of the heel spaced therefrom so as to define a central portion and. a rim portion, said central portion having a.plurality of projectingbulges arranged in. acon tinuous closed row so as to form' a, projecting ring adjacent to said rim portion, each of said bulges being formed with an inner cavity and protruding substantially beyond the remainder of said central portion and beyond said rim portion so as to protect the same from being worn;

and means in said rim portion for securing the heel to a shoe. v

2. A shoe heel consisting of rubber or a like material having a plurality of slits arranged in a line extending parallel to the perimeter of the heelsp'aced therefrom so as to form a narrow rim portion and a central. portion, said central portion having a plurality of projecting bulges arranged in a continuous closed row so as to form a projecting ring adjacent to said rim portion, each of said bulges being formed with an inner cavity and protruding substantially beyond the remainder of said central portion and beyond said rim portion so as to protect the same from being worn, said bulges being separated from each other by strip portions of the remainder of the central portion arranged in a star-shaped pattern, each of said slits extending between one of said bulges and said rim portion between two of said strip portions,

7 and said rim portion being formed with holes adapted to receive means for securing the heel to a shoe.

3. A shoe heel consisting of rubber or a like material formed with at least one slit extending Parallel to the perimeter of the heel spaced therefrom so as to form completely separate central and rim portions, said central portion having a plurality of projecting bulges arranged in a continuous closed row so as to form a projecting ring adjacent to said rim portion, each of said bulges being formed with an inner cavity and protruding substantially beyond the remainder of said central portion and beyond said rim portion so as to protect the same from being worn; and means in said rim portion for securil'lg the heel to a shoe.

l. A shoe heel consisting of rubber or a like material, comprising in combination, a continuous closed rim portion having parallel top and bottom faces, an outer lateral face extending along the perimeter of the heel, and an inclined inner lateral face spaced a short distance from said outer lateral face and forming an obtuse angle with said top face of said rim portion, and an acute angle with said bottom face of said rim portion so that the opening defined by the inner edge of said bottom face is smaller than the opening defined by the inner edge of said top face; a central portion located within said continuous closed rim portion, said central portion having a peripheral face abutting against said inner lateral face of said rim portion and further having a plurality of projecting bulges arranged in a continuous closed row so as to form a projecting ring adjacent to said rim portion, each of said bulges being formed With an inner cavity and protruding substantially above the remainder of said central portion and above said bottom face of said rim portion so as to protect the same from being wornf and means -in said rim portion for securing said rim portion and thereby the heel to a shoe.

5. A shoe heel consisting of rubber or a like material, comprising in combination, continuous closed rim portion having parallel top and bottom faces, an outer lateral face extending along the perimeter of the heel, and an inclined inner lateral face spaced a short distance from 'said outer lateral face and forming an obtuse angle with said top face of said rim portion, and an acute angle with said bottom face of said rim portion so that the opening defined by the inner edge of said bottom face is smaller than the opening defined by the inner edge of said top face; a central portion located within said continuous closed rim portion, said central portion having a peripheral face abutting against said inner lateral face of said rim portion and further having a plurality of projecting bulges arranged in a continuous closed row so as to form aprojecting ring adjacent to said rim portion, each of said bulges being formed with an inner. cavity and protruding substantially above the remainder of said central portion and above said bottom face of said rim portion so as to protect the same from being worn, said central portion including a main portion and a detachable portion located adjacent to said rim portion at the rear thereof and adapted to be replaced when worn; and means in said rim portion for securing said rim portion and thereby the heel to a shoe.

VAVRI'N SLAMPA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Lane Apr. 21, 1868 Ashley Aug. 1, 1911 Wharton Apr. 8, 1919 Malcher June 24, 1924 Carlson Apr. 8, 1930 Stevenson Oct. 24, 1933 Piciulo Oct. 7, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Dec. 30, 1941 Germany Feb. 22, 1933 

